CLU (29-4) plays Puget Sound (Wash.) in the regional final Sunday at noon for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight for the secondstraight season.

"It was a slugfest out there and we knew that going in," CLU head coach Kellee Roesel said. "It was a very dangerous match. They have great senior leadership and have been through so much adversity. We had a huge target on our back and we had a lot of pressure on us. They had no pressure on them."

CLU swept its two matches against La Verne in SouthernCalifornia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, and was aware of the old adage it's hard to beat a team three times.

But the Regals managed to accomplish the feat by keeping their composure in the momentum-flipping showdown.

CLU trailed 16-13 in a tight first game, but rallied to tie it 20-20 on a kill by McLogan.

The Regals took the lead for good on two La Verne attack errors, and clinched the game on a La Verne service error.

La Verne (22-6) led from start to finish in the second game to even the match at a game apiece on a service ace by Kendall Kraiss.

CLU jumped to a 4-0 lead in the third game on back-to-back kills by Allie Eason.

The Regals expanded their advantage to as much as 10 points and weathered a La Verne rally to win the game when Lauren Rohach put away aball at the net.

In the fourth game, CLU trailed 11-5 before mounting a comeback. An ace by McLogan gave CLU the lead at 16-15 and the game remainedtight throughout.

CLU had two match points, but couldn't secure the win. The Regals survived a game point by La Verne before letting another match point slip away.

They finally captured the match on a kill by Eason.

"I think we were a bit apprehensive going into the game knowing it was worth so much and we were playing them a third time," McLogan said. "It's hard playing a team that many times because they know what you are going to do. But we just focused on our side rather than focusing on what they were doing on their side."

CLU won't have to worry about the familiarity factor in the regional final. The Regals haven't faced Puget Sound this season.

"They were able to watch us tonight and have been resting three or four hours and we have to turn around and play at noon," Roesel said. "But I am pretty hard on these kids and expect them to be in really good condition. They have trained for this all year long."